TACLOBAN CITY — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has warned against the consumption of shellfish gathered in Cancabato Bay here after meat samples turned positive for red tide toxin.

The BFAR in an advisory released Wednesday night said paralytic shellfish toxin was found during the laboratory examination conducted by the BFAR-Regional Fisheries Laboratory in this city.

"To safeguard human lives and mitigate impacts to the shellfish industry while waiting for the BFAR central office test result, this local red tide warning is issued as a precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfishes and Acetes sp., locally known as Alamang or Hipon, from this bay," said the agency.

Cancabato Bay is a rich source of cockle clams being shipped to Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Through testing, the fisheries bureau found that shellfish samples from the bay have 74.46 micrograms of toxins for every 100 grams of meat.